Sun Grant Western Regional Center 2016 Competitive Grants Program

Funded by US Department of Agriculture

The Sun Grant Western Regional Center (SGW) announces the availability of funds through its Competitive Grants Program to support research, education and outreach projects in three strategic program areas:

Strategic Program Areas

Decentralized and distributed feedstocks and energy systems; efforts will support deployment of commercial scale biomass electrical generation and co-generation efforts and production of biofuels and bioproducts from multiple feedstocks that exploit the economic benefits of complementary aggregation;

Novel feedstocks for bioenergy, bioproducts, and biofuels from agricultural or forestry residues; and

Life cycle analysis and sustainability

The SGW has identified the above named regional priorities from within USDA strategic areas, based upon prior regional priority setting workshops and consultation with regional experts. SGW seeks proposals with an emphasis on these strategic regional program areas.

In addition to requesting Sun Grant funds, all proposals must include an additional 25% (auditable) in project cost-share (20% of total project cost is required). Indirect is limited by USDA to 25% of direct costs (or 20% total project cost). Integration, economics, marketing, policy, education or a combination of these overarching activities may be incorporated in any proposal. Two types of applications are being sought:

Collaborative Proposals: Multi-institutional and multi-functional (research, education and outreach) proposals are sought that address Sun Grant goals and regional priorities. Collaborative proposals may request up to $150,000 in federal funds per year for up to two years but is subject to appropriation of funds. No more than 50% of available funds will be awarded in Year 1

Single Institution Proposals: Individual investigators, or small teams from a single institution, that address the Sun Grant mission and regional priorities may submit proposals requesting up to $75,000 per year for one to two years but is subject to appropriation of funds. No more than 50% of available funds will be awarded in Year 1.

In order to submit a proposal, a Letter of Intent must be submitted by February 1, 2016. Full applications are due by March 30, 2016. All application materials must be submitted through an online proposal system located at http://webnibus.org/sungrant/western.